Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Diametric Dessert

I have always observed that the best couples I know are made up of two completely opposite types of people. I think that is the true secret to success. I know married couples who have been together for what seems like hundreds of years and they couldn't be more different in regards to their personalities. As I observe these couples I notice that normally one is determined and the other is adaptable, one is an introvert and the other is outgoing, one is right-brained and the other is left-brained, one is cautious and the other is a risk-taker. My conclusion has always been that opposites attract (to a certain degree) and this makes for a happy union.

I was thinking about this theory this weekend and I decided to apply it to my cooking. Forrest and I were going to a party to watch the NFL playoffs and the food on the menu was manly and football focused - grilled meats, barbecue beans, chips and salsa, and beer. I thought these very different, extremely sweet, miniature and delicate cookies would round out the meal perfectly ;-)

Preheat the oven to 350°. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. In a food processor, pulse the butter with 1/2 cup of the confectioners’ sugar

until combined. Add the cornstarch, vanilla and flour and process until a soft dough forms.

Transfer the dough to a work surface and divide it into 4 equal pieces.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll each piece of dough into a 12-inch rope.

Cut each rope into 12 pieces

and roll each piece into a ball. Transfer the balls to the baking sheet; they won’t spread much. Bake the cookies on the center rack of the oven for about 22 minutes, until the bottoms are golden but the tops are still pale.Sift the remaining 1 cup of confectioners’ sugar into a bowl. Add 5 warm cookies to the bowl at a time and toss to coat.

Transfer the cookies to a clean baking sheet. While the cookies are still warm, poke 4 shallow holes into each one with a toothpick or skewer to make a buttonhole pattern.